John garvin



J. GARVIN. ORE GONGENTRATOR AND SEPARATOR.

Patented Mar; 21, 1 88,2.

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PATENT JOHN GARVIN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO VILLIAM H. MYERS, OF SAME PLACE.

ORE CoNCENTRAToR AND SEPARATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 255,160, dated March 21, 1882..

Application filed September 28, 1880. (No model.) U

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known thatl, JOI-IN GARVIN, ot' Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of' Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ore Concentrators and Separators, of whichimprovements the following:I is an explicit and exact specification, enabling one skilled in the art to make and construct the same.

to My invention relates to that class of' ore coneentrators and separators in which the concen-V tration of the ore is e'ectcd by distributing` the same upon a horizontal orsligbtly-inclined table, trough, or tray, the separation of the t5 metalbearing particles from the refuse clay and sand constituting the gang, being effected by means of continuous oscillations imparted mechanically or otherwise to said table, trough, or tray in the presence of water, and dischargzo ing the concentrated ore at one extremity and Athe gang at the other.

Heretof'ore machines of this character have been oscillated by means of cranks, eccentrics, cams, differential gearing, or the impact of z5 hammers or suspended weights. The use of the crank or eccentric is objectionable for the reason that neither of them imparts a sufficiently sudden or abrupt motion to the tablebed, the forward movement at the beginning 3o ofthe stroke being extremely fslow, increasing gradually till its maximum of speed is reached toward the middle ot' its course, and diminishing in inverse order to the end. The inertia of the ore is overcome in the firstpart of the stroke, and the momentum acquired by it during the course of the stroke is also overcomeand consumed duringthelatterpartthere of without producing any material change in the relative positions of the particles of the ore 4o among themselves or having caused them to advance along the bed of the table materially in either direction. Besides, the same series of events occurs in the return-stroke as those described in the forward, onlyin a contrary sense, so that whatever progress in one direction may have beeneff'ected in the forward'is neutralized in the returnl-stroke. To remedy this defect the table is generally1 placed at an inclination, in which case, however, all the ma- 5o terials are discharged at the lower extremity of the trough, or at least at a point below that of admission; and the process is eitherimperfeet, owing to the excessive pitch imparted to the table, or excessively tedious and prolonged where the table is only slightly inclined.

The earn ordinarily employed, although overcoming thela-bove objections toa certainextent, is itself open to the objection of being capable of giving only one series of unchangeable oscillations, and cannot be driven beyond 6o or below a given speed to produce its best results or to work to the greatest advantage. Differential gearing, which has been employed to meet the def'ects of the cam, like the cam only gives a series of unchangeable and un 65 changing reciprocations. It is also too gradual in its action, and does not impart the concussion necessary to separate the different ingredients of' the ore. The blow delivered by a hammer operated by a trip on a rotating shaft 7o or otherwise and reciprocated by a spring or gravitation errs in a contrary direction, the impact being too instantaneous and violent, the greater part of the force of' the blow being absorbed by those portions of the table immediately adjacent to the point of contact, greatly to their detriment, thereby adding to the wear and tear of parts and utilizing only a small fraction of the power exerted for the end in view, and being correspondingly slow of opera- 8o tion and expensive.

It has also been the practice heretofore to introduce the ore andthe water separately into the hopper, and to cause them to mingle while going through the different stages of the operation. This method is highly objectionable y and insufficient, owing to the water not remaiuingincontact with the ore a long enough time to thoroughly impregnate every particle thereof, as frequently in finely-divided ores air 9o is conta-ined in sufficient quantity and adhering to the particles with sufficient tenacity to form the ore into little balls of unmoistened dust which fioat ott" with the water and the gang without coming under the influence of' 95 the oscillating trough, thus ocoasioning serious loss.

I am aware that in order to overcome these objections it has been the practice to mix the ore to be treated in bulk with water in a sepama rate machine by hand or otherwise, and supplying the mixture to ahopper upon and forming part of an ore separator or concentrator, said hopperbeing provided with rotatingmechanism at or adjacent to its discharging-milice for the purpose of facilitating and regularizing theitiow of the ore. This plan, besides being complex and necessitating the employment of separate machinery and additional manual help, is also open to thc objection that it does not secure the supply of aperfectly homogeneous mixture constantly ol" the same degree of fluidity, or containing at all times the same percentage of ore, all of which conditions are, however, necessary for securing the. perfect operation for this class of separators.

The object of my invention is to provide a concentrator and separator of cheap and durable construction, which will completelyobviatc waste of valuable ore, which will beieadily and easily adjustable in all its parts, so as to be adapted to the separation of all kinds of ores, finely divided or even as coarse as that which requires ten meshes to the inch for its passage; to be capable of running at any speed, and by a peculiar arrangement of parts to obtain at each separate oscillation a series of coneussions, each tending in the same direction and co -operating toward the same resultnamely, the delivery of the concentrated ore at one. extremity' ot' the trough and the gang at the other.

To these ends my improvements consist in the employment of a mixing-pan in combination with a main receiving-hopper, alaterallyoscillated shaker, and a distributing hopper, said hoppers and shaker being all capable of being shifted longitudinally, so as to deliver on any portion ot' the tray beneath; an oscillating table or trough with a smooth metallic bottom, adjustable to any reasonable angle of inclination, and preferably suspended to a supporting-frame by means of flexible attachments vertically and horizontally adjustable; the employment of an abutment upon the frame ot1 the machine for maintaining the trough at an angle from the vertical in a direction opposed to that whence the concussion is imparted to it, said abutment serving also to maintain the trough at the same distance from the axis of rotation of the actuating-cam, besides receiving the full force ofthe recoil ofthe table as it falls back into its place after each successive impulse of the cam; and au adjustable actuating-cam for vibrating the table, all as hereinafter more fully set forth.

rlhe nature of our improvements and the manner in which they are to he'carried out will be understood, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a vertical section on the line xx of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a plan view, the mixingpan and drivin g-gear ot' same heilig removed. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view, in elevation, of the adjustable cam. y

vA separating table, trough, or tray, A,is suspended by chains, ropes, or other iexible means of attachment a a', made fast at their lower extremities tolugsrigidlyfastencd to the edges ot' the trough, and at their upper ends to eyebolts a2 a2, which in turn are secured to the frame B by clamps b b, in such manner as to be easily loosened and slid backward or forward along the stringers B B of the frame B by merely loosening the nuts a3 a3, which also serve to adjust the eyebolts a2 a2 vertically, when it is found desirable, owing to the nature of the ore, or from any other cause, to alter the inclination ofthe separating-trough. Adjustable stops c c, bit'urcated at theirlower end, are similarly secured to the frame B directly behind the supporting-chains aa, and serve to shorten or lengthen the swing of said chains or ropes.

An abutment, B2, upon the frame receives the shock ot the projection A of the table as it returns at each oscillation and maintains the table in an abnormal position and continually resting against said abutment.

The bottom of thetrough is perfectlysmooth and free from joints and seams. rlhis is et'- feeted by covering it with sheet metal, preferably composed ot' au alloy ot' zincand lead, which is comparatively non-oxidizable. Two strips, A3 A3, laid angularly upon the bed ot' the table, form a horizontal converging chalincl directing the ascending ore rst under the water from a. rose, F, secured to the main frame B by rods ff, and finally to the opening D in the bed of the trough, where the concentrated ore is discharged.

A strip of hard wood or metal, A, at the rear end of the trough A, is so secured as to be readily removed when worn out and another substituted therefor. This strip serves as an anvil to receive the blows of a bolt, H, rounded at its point of percussion, centrally slotted at or about the middle for the reception ofa taper key, and having its rear extremity formed into a screw. It is thus rendered adjustable in the direction of its length by means of the tapering key m and tighteningnuts n n,said bolt H fitting in jaws or a pocket upon the carrier-disk L, said jaws or pocket being slotted transversely for the passage of the key m and serving asa guide for the bolt H.

The whole combination of the bolt H, key m, nuts n a, and disk L forming an adjustable cam whose function is to deliver asliding blow, as indicated by dotted line 7c 7c, Fig. 3, of greater or less continuance, as the bolt His advanced or retracted, thus enabling the striking mechanism to be operated at any desira blerate of speed. The force ot' theblowincreasing with the velocity, the bolt is withdrawn correspondingly; and, per contra, when it is judged necessary to run slower, as is the case when the ore to he treated is of a poorer grade, the bolt is advanced. In this mannerI maintain complete control over the force of the blows delivered by the cam, and can always so regulate it that no matter what the speed the oscillating trough will always return to the xed abutment upon the frame B IIO before the succeeding blow of the cam H. Upon the shaft K a spur-pinion, O, meshes with and is driven by a spur-gear, 0', upon the shaft K', actuated externally by a crank or otherwise, as may be deemed most expedient. A mixing-pan, T, is placed upon the top of the frame B, preferably one of the kind wherein the stirring apparatus can be elevated and depressed, and is set in motion by the shaft K' through the intermediate pulleys, P P', the belt Q, and the bevel-gears U U'. A spout, T', atthe bottom of the mixing-pan, provided with a valve, V, regulates the supply of the mixed ore to the receiving-hopper R.

A shaking-pan, W, which I calla spreading-pam'7 attached by means of links 'w w to the hopper R, swings freely beneath the same, and is oscillated laterally by a lever, Y, fastened with a set-screw to the journaled stem N, which carries at one of its extremities a lever, Y', engaging in the cam Z upon the shaft K.

The distributing-hopper R' slides upon the raised sides of the separating-trough in such wise as to admit of being shifted toward either extremity ofthe same. It is securedin place by set-screws at i" i". The distributing-hopper R', the` spreading-pan W, its actuating-lever Y, and the receiving-hopper R all admitof being shifted together toward either extremity of the trough A, so as to remain superposed one above the other and in the same relative position as shown in the drawings.

The operation of my machineis substantially as follows: The necessary adjustments having previously been made-namely, the proper inclination of the separating-trough, the angle of the supporting chains, and corresponding resistance of the table or trough to the impact of the actuating-cam, and the consequent rapidity ofits return to apointof rest, the position of the stops c c, the proper advancement of the cam H, andthe position ofthe distributing-hopper R' upon the edges of the troughthese adjustments once made will remain constant and will not require to be altered so long as a particular grade of ore is being operated on. The ore to be treated, after going through the crushing process, and having been sized in the usual manner, is fed into the mixingpan T, together with a sufficient supply of water to form a flowing mixture. The machine is then set in motion, and the valve V is opened `sufficiently to allow the proper quantity of the mixed ore to fall into the hopper R, whence it passes onto the spreading-pan W, and is spread by the action ofthe latter uniformly and over the entire width of the distributinghopper, which in turn delivers it in this state upon the metallic bed a of the trough A. The repeated concussions imparted to the separating-trough in the direction of its length by the blows ot the adjustable cam H have the eect, first, of causing the particles which, owing to their metallic nature, are of a greater specific gravity, to work their way through the sand and earthy matter which usually' constitutes the bulk of the ore or tailings operated on down to the bed ofthe trough, which they no sooner reach than they commence their ascent toward ythe upper part of the trough, while the gangor lighter part is worked out at thelower end.

' The law in obedience to which the inertia of substances of high specie gravity enables themto overcome gravity in the manner described above toa greater extent than substances of a lighter character is old and well understood, nor need it be detailed at greater length here. It will suffice to statethat experience has shown me that arl-angle of inclination of about one vertical to thirty-six horizontal given to my trough meets the requirements of the average ofores. The trough should be so set therefore as to allow ofadjustment either way from this angle, as the case may require. I have also found that a metallic bottom, owing to its smoothness, offers less frictionnl resistance to the movements of the ore, thus greatly assisting in the operation and permitting of the running ot' the machine at a higher speed. Such a metallic bed prevents the access of water to the wooden body ofthe trough, which will therefore not be liable to sw-ell when wet and contract when dry, and hence is always ready for use, which is not the case with troughs not similarly protected.

As the ore passes up above the point of delivery upon the trough it gets more and more concentrated,and asthiseoncentration depends in a great measure upon the distance which the ore has to travel before reaching the outlet, I have so arranged the lower hopper, R', that it may he placed to deliver farther up or down upon the trough as the ore is richer or poorer respectively. As the ore continues to ascend the oscillating trough it eventually reaches a point where the angularly-disposed strips converging from the sides toward the center guide it first beneath a rose supplied with water under pressure, which frees it from any such clayey or-foreign matter as may have found its way up, in defiance of all other precautions, and,tinally, to the opening of discharge, whence it falls into a receptacle provided therefor.

It will be seen f'rom the construction of my improvements that while of very cheap manufacture, all the working parts are adjustable to each other and to the particular variety or grade of `orc to be treated. I can work to advantage, at one operation, ores that have been sized through screens or sieves of a difference of twenty meshes to the inch--thus all between ten to thirty, twenty to forty,thirty to fty, &c., meshes to the inch; but in practice I prefer to work simultaneously and at the same opera- IOO IOS

tion ores not differing more than ten meshes thus ten to twenty, twenty to thirty, &c.

By the peculiar distribution ofthe cam, the adjustable stopping-rods, and the abutment, I am enabled to obtain three distinct concussions at each revolution of the cam, the tendency of which is all in the same direction, to wit: first, the reaction due to the impact of the cam; second, the acceleration ot said reaction occasioned by the shortening ot' the pendulums supporting the trough; and, third, the impulse conveyed to the ore in the same direction bythe momentum acquired in the returnswing ofthe trough, which is continued with the ore after the trough has been suddenly cheeked by the abutment.

I claim as my invention and desile lo secure by Letters Patent- 1. 1n an ore eoncentrator and separator, the combination of a laterally and horizontally oscillated spreading-pan, a sliding distributing hopper,andalongitudinully-oseillatingtrough, substantially as described.

2. In an ore coneentrator and separator, the combination of a mixing-trough, a receivinghopper, a horizontally and laterally oseillated spreading-pan, a distributin ,1r sliding hopper, and an oscillating trough or tray, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with an oscillating trough or tray, of hanging and swinging ilexible supports adjustable vertically and horizontally, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, in an ore concentrator and separator, ot an oscillating trough or tray provided with horizontally adjustable supports, of an abutment and an adjustable cam, substantially as set forth.V l Y 5. The combination, in an ore Separator, of an oscillating trough or tray provided with hanging and swinging iexible supports, and of stops adjustable vertically and horizontally, substantially as described.

JOHN GARVIN.

Witnesses:

J. WooDRUFF, W. L. LANGE. 

